I was rereading my post from yesterday where I expounded on how I was upset about my choice to spend $11 that I did not need to. I can easily see other people thinking "What is the big deal? It is only $11."
I agree--it is not a large sum of money. However, it was the first time in a long time that I truly regretted the financial choice I made. I chose laziness and convenience rather than frugality. The choice to purchase the pizza using the "great" coupon and filling up my gas tank using gas $0.05 more per gallon really bothered me even into the next day where I proceeded to rant about it to my colleagues. I was disappointed in my choices and it reflected in my attitude.
I have wasted large sums of money before. I spent over $1,000 on laser hair removal that was not a permanent solution. I graduated from college with credit card debt that remained many years afterward as I attended graduate school and had little money to pay down consumer debt. Looking back, I am not sure what I purchased to end up with ~$2,000 in credit card debt, but likely I had to have it at the time.
While I expound on my virtuous budget, I have used money from my savings account to cover my overages. These tend to be only a few dollars a month, but not always. But the decision I made that evening and ended up a blog posting really bothered me. While the sum is minor in the scheme of things, I understand I that have to improve my self-control and stop letting laziness dictate how passive I can be. It is easy to order a pizza. It takes more effort to decide on what to eat and then cook my own meal. Reasons to take the easy way out include: I forget to thaw the meat or don't realize I need an ingredient missing from my pantry or misjudge the amount of time needed to prepare the food. I strive to do better each day and each day I am more or less successful than the day before. The general trend is improving, but back sliding will happen. Hopefully, this recent mishap will motivate me to do better.
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blogging world. I got here via Consumerism Commentary. I think we are both similar in that we perhaps overthink our spending. Sometimes you just want something or don't feel like doing the most cost effective thing. That's OK. Money is for many things, including enjoying yourself. Don't feel guilty about it. Spend a little more now and save a little more later. The fact that you put a significant amount in your retirement means that you're being responsible.
Take care,
Atul
http://www.thingsivenoticed.com